Letter-box



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. W. SPEER. LETTER BOX.

Patented Apr. 26

3444mm 0% w. w. 8

atfbzwws m: nonms Pe'rens cu, morwu'mm, WASHINGY (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. w. SPEER. LETTER BOX.

I No. 473,676. Patented Apr. 26, 1892.

' Y m ue'wcoz Q/QVC 0060 l' UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

WILLIAM W. SPEER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,676, dated April 26, 1892. Application filed October 16, 1891. Serial No. 408,956. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM W. SPEER, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in mail-boxes, its object being to produce a mailbox for receiving papers or packages and letters in separate compartments, said compartments being of adequate capacity and the box being very strong and substantial in construction and effectual in the performance of its functions.

With this object in view the invent-ion consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafterset forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an end view of the device. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of the bottom of the receptacles.

The box is of octagonal shape, as illustrated most clearly in Fig. 3, and each receptacle or compartment is preferably composed of four plates 1 1 2 2 of steel. The plates 1 1 are each bent to produce three sides of the box, and are connected at their edges by means of plates 2 2, which produce the seventh and eighth sides. The plates 2 2 are each provided at their edges with flanges a, which are adapted to lie against the inner faces of the plates 1 1 at their free edges and secured to said free edges by means of bolts or in any other suitable manner. Thus far both the upper and lower receptacles are alike, and each is provided with a bottom B, both of said bottoms being constructed in the same manner. The bottoms B are of course made octagonal in shape, and each of the straight edges thereof is made with a flange b, which flanges are bent up, as shown in Fig.

'5, and inserted within the bottom of the receptacles, to the walls of which they are sccured by means of rivets or in any other preferred manner.

Each receptacle will be provided with a door 0, whereby the mail may be taken from the box, said doors being adapted to be locked by means of a clamp and padlock, and said receptacles are preferably secured together by means of rivets or otherwise.

In the lower receptacle A an opening (1 is made, through which mail-matter-such as papers and packagesmay be inserted. A drop D is hinged in close proximity to this opening, and is composed of two parts 1 2, the part 1 being provided with a thumb-piece 3 and adapted to normally close the opening cl, while the part 2 is adapted to project'within the box, and is of sufficient weight to overcome the weight of the part 1 and thus maintain the opening d normally closed. A flange or cover 6 will preferably be located over the drop D to prevent water from entering the opening 6?. The receptacle A is provided with upwardly-projecting flanges f, which enter a roof or dome E, located on top of the upper receptacle A, and said flanges and dome are secured together by means of rivets or in any other preferred manner.

Two faces of the upper receptacle A are perforated for the reception of small brackets g, in which a drop or guard F is mounted. An elongated slot 71. is made in the upper receptacle A in front of the drop or guard F and provided with a flange or cover 7; to prevent water from entering the slot. The drop or guard F is composed of two plates j,connected at their free ends by means of a thin steel plate It, said plate having a depending lip Z, adapted to project through the elongated slot in the wall of the receptacle and thus tightly close the slot. One journal of the drop or guard F is provided with an arm m, on the free end of which a weight n is secured and adapted to maintain the elongated slot normally closed. The essential features of this drop are the same as those setforth in application Serial No. 408,687, filed by me October 14, 1891, and Serial No. 406,969, filed September 24, 1891, the onlysubstantial difference between this and theformer one referred to being that in that one the slot is in the roof, whereas in this construction it is below the roof.

A mail-box constructed as above described is very simple, strong, rigid, spacious, orna- IOC mental in appearance, and effectual in the performance of its functions.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mail-box polygonal in form, the sides extending continuously from its top to the bottom, said box divided into compartments, the bottom and partition or partitions having flanges at the edges, and doors hinged at the edge of the bottom and partition or partitions, substantially as set forth.

2. A mail-box octagonal in form and com posed of four plates, two of which are bent to form three sides and two to form one side each, thelatter havingflanges adapted to overlap the edges of the adjacent members and adapted to be secured thereto, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mail-box, the combination, with a body portion, of a flange or flanges projecting upwardly from the top thereof and a roof or dome secured to said flanges, substantially as an opening therein for the reception of mailmatter, said box having sides projecting at obtuse angles to each other, of brackets on two of said sides and in line with said opening and a weighted drop journaled in said brackets, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM W. SPEER.

Witnesses:

JOHN D. SPEER, D. A. PITCAIRN. 

